Comments for fast grow the weeds http://fastgrowtheweeds.com This is a journal, of sorts, of an organic garden in SW Michigan. "Ut sementem feceris, ita metes: non semper erit aestas." Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:52:35 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on On drying fruit by lindsay http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/03/on-drying-fruit/#comment-6254 lindsay Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:52:35 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3143#comment-6254 My kids love dehydrated fruit, and it's so convenient in the car! no sticky fingers :) We bought a ten tray one on ebay last year for a steal. My kids love dehydrated fruit, and it’s so convenient in the car! no sticky fingers :) We bought a ten tray one on ebay last year for a steal.

]]> Comment on On drying fruit by Mangochild http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/03/on-drying-fruit/#comment-6253 Mangochild Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:21:50 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3143#comment-6253 I'm planning on going blueberry/strawberry picking today (assuming its not raining, which is not always a sound assumption these days) and this looks perfect. I've frozen a lot, and am planning to make jam out of some more, but dehydrated fruit is so convenient. I did apples last fall and am so happy I did. How do the blueberries dry, since they are in little "balls" as opposed to flat rings or slices? Harder/easier? I’m planning on going blueberry/strawberry picking today (assuming its not raining, which is not always a sound assumption these days) and this looks perfect. I’ve frozen a lot, and am planning to make jam out of some more, but dehydrated fruit is so convenient. I did apples last fall and am so happy I did. How do the blueberries dry, since they are in little “balls” as opposed to flat rings or slices? Harder/easier?

]]> Comment on On drying fruit by mavis http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/03/on-drying-fruit/#comment-6250 mavis Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:49:28 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3143#comment-6250 Hello El, I would really love to see a picture of the strawberries after they are dehydrated.....could you arrange that please...I'm sure you have nothing else to do and if you were a true OCD (self diagnosed I'm sure) like me you would want to be thorough in your presentation of how to dehydrate strawberries. :) Thanks in advance...Mavis Hello El,
I would really love to see a picture of the strawberries after they are dehydrated…..could you arrange that please…I’m sure you have nothing else to do and if you were a true OCD (self diagnosed I’m sure) like me you would want to be thorough in your presentation of how to dehydrate strawberries. :) Thanks in advance…Mavis

]]> Comment on On drying fruit by Pete Russell http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/03/on-drying-fruit/#comment-6249 Pete Russell Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:32:10 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3143#comment-6249 I have just come across your blog and love it. I recently started an online network of food gardeners and locavores called Ooooby. It began only 6 months ago and now has over 1200 members. www.ooooby.org I am sure that we would all love to read your blogs on the network. It is easy enough to post summaries of your blogs there that link back to your site. Anyway, hope to see you there and thanks for your wonderful contribution to the knowledge bank of food gardeners around the world. Pete I have just come across your blog and love it.

I recently started an online network of food gardeners and locavores called Ooooby. It began only 6 months ago and now has over 1200 members. http://www.ooooby.org

I am sure that we would all love to read your blogs on the network. It is easy enough to post summaries of your blogs there that link back to your site.

Anyway, hope to see you there and thanks for your wonderful contribution to the knowledge bank of food gardeners around the world.

Pete

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by El http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6248 El Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:27:46 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6248 Jules you are reminding me that my dear dad made peach icecream every summer when we were kids. Sigh! That stuff was dreamy, especially since he got the cream from a dairy farmer he knew. I miss my dad: he'd probably think I was nuts doing what I am doing, but he'd still think it was pretty cool. He'd probably wonder why I haven't tried to make peach icecream yet though! DO try to freeze individually. Sometimes you don't need to take the step of the cookie sheet but if your fruit is a little bit mushy or wet it'll clump together in the bag. And THANK YOU for the birthday wishes! I spent it in the gardens, here and at school. MC, I am not sure what to attribute your luck to with regards to your fruit freezing! I do know fruit is a bit more forgiving, except maybe squishy berries like raspberries and blackberries. Glad to hear you're on your way to having a very fruity freezer this year though. It's certainly a learning process, and it's one of the reasons I tend to go a little nutty when planting onions and garlic: running out sure makes for some bland food. Ed, this is the year we're doing raspberries too. They are one of my least favorite things to pick but one must roll with it, you know? Glad to hear you're smoothie fans too. It's a decent habit to get into, especially if you don't sweeten them. Stef, ollalieberries? Goodness I have never heard of them. Glad to know! And gallettes are great aren't they? So no-fuss, and kids can get into it too. Oh Jeri, I wish I had an exact recipe for you for the smoothies, but I remain a seat-of-my-pants kind of girl in most cooking, even noncooking like smoothies. I will say though that a taste test is in order before pouring it into glasses. If it's too nonsweet I usually throw some maple syrup in with it to smooth out the edges. I can't wait for nectarine/peach season! Soon, ever so soon. Petunia, congrats on the jam, girl!! Yes, fruit-drying is one of the last horizons I must traverse as well...and I am going there, quickly. But yeah, it makes sense to take advantage of all this stuff now. No sense shipping it in from Chile (no disrespect to Chileans, it's just, you know, a bit far from Michigan). WS I do here admit that the first time I made jam all that sugar did stop my heart for a minute. Ah well. Freezer jam requires less, and just plain frozen fruit spread none. Pick your poison, me, I like sugar. Karen, you are so right in that canning peaches is a bit of a labor of love. I remember quite well canning peaches while pregnant in my Minneapolis kitchen: we'd just come back from visiting my mom here, cooler full of good sweet peaches, and Minneapolis as you may or may not know is wicked hot in the summer! So canning them was very uncomfortable, but...tasty! Good golly canned peaches are little slices of nirvana. So your little method sounds quite do-able, and maybe a lot less sweaty than having boiling pots on the stove. But hey aren't you glad you're raising a fruit-lover? Sylvie, sounds like me. Just a bit more stuff in the freezer! But actually our freezers are usually pretty full, sigh, so most of the fruit requires other treatment. You know I haven't had as good luck with freezing peaches; they turned out pretty blah. But canning! Yum. And last year I put away a TON of peach salsa! That was mighty tasty. Karyn, boy that sounded like us three weeks ago, then we got a heatwave and not a drip has dropped! Can't quite figure out if this year is going to just stink all around for most growing things. The cherries ripened a week early and did a lot of splitting, poor things, due to all that rain. And mushy too. But yeah, I hope it dries out for you, but not TOO dry, you know? That's a nightmare in itself. Ah Jules! Thanks for remembering... Jules you are reminding me that my dear dad made peach icecream every summer when we were kids. Sigh! That stuff was dreamy, especially since he got the cream from a dairy farmer he knew. I miss my dad: he’d probably think I was nuts doing what I am doing, but he’d still think it was pretty cool. He’d probably wonder why I haven’t tried to make peach icecream yet though! DO try to freeze individually. Sometimes you don’t need to take the step of the cookie sheet but if your fruit is a little bit mushy or wet it’ll clump together in the bag. And THANK YOU for the birthday wishes! I spent it in the gardens, here and at school.

MC, I am not sure what to attribute your luck to with regards to your fruit freezing! I do know fruit is a bit more forgiving, except maybe squishy berries like raspberries and blackberries. Glad to hear you’re on your way to having a very fruity freezer this year though. It’s certainly a learning process, and it’s one of the reasons I tend to go a little nutty when planting onions and garlic: running out sure makes for some bland food.

Ed, this is the year we’re doing raspberries too. They are one of my least favorite things to pick but one must roll with it, you know? Glad to hear you’re smoothie fans too. It’s a decent habit to get into, especially if you don’t sweeten them.

Stef, ollalieberries? Goodness I have never heard of them. Glad to know! And gallettes are great aren’t they? So no-fuss, and kids can get into it too.

Oh Jeri, I wish I had an exact recipe for you for the smoothies, but I remain a seat-of-my-pants kind of girl in most cooking, even noncooking like smoothies. I will say though that a taste test is in order before pouring it into glasses. If it’s too nonsweet I usually throw some maple syrup in with it to smooth out the edges. I can’t wait for nectarine/peach season! Soon, ever so soon.

Petunia, congrats on the jam, girl!! Yes, fruit-drying is one of the last horizons I must traverse as well…and I am going there, quickly. But yeah, it makes sense to take advantage of all this stuff now. No sense shipping it in from Chile (no disrespect to Chileans, it’s just, you know, a bit far from Michigan).

WS I do here admit that the first time I made jam all that sugar did stop my heart for a minute. Ah well. Freezer jam requires less, and just plain frozen fruit spread none. Pick your poison, me, I like sugar.

Karen, you are so right in that canning peaches is a bit of a labor of love. I remember quite well canning peaches while pregnant in my Minneapolis kitchen: we’d just come back from visiting my mom here, cooler full of good sweet peaches, and Minneapolis as you may or may not know is wicked hot in the summer! So canning them was very uncomfortable, but…tasty! Good golly canned peaches are little slices of nirvana. So your little method sounds quite do-able, and maybe a lot less sweaty than having boiling pots on the stove. But hey aren’t you glad you’re raising a fruit-lover?

Sylvie, sounds like me. Just a bit more stuff in the freezer! But actually our freezers are usually pretty full, sigh, so most of the fruit requires other treatment. You know I haven’t had as good luck with freezing peaches; they turned out pretty blah. But canning! Yum. And last year I put away a TON of peach salsa! That was mighty tasty.

Karyn, boy that sounded like us three weeks ago, then we got a heatwave and not a drip has dropped! Can’t quite figure out if this year is going to just stink all around for most growing things. The cherries ripened a week early and did a lot of splitting, poor things, due to all that rain. And mushy too. But yeah, I hope it dries out for you, but not TOO dry, you know? That’s a nightmare in itself.

Ah Jules! Thanks for remembering…

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by jules http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6247 jules Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:41:01 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6247 ok, since you didn't post today (07/02/09) I'll have to do this here. Humm along now folks! HB2U! HB2U! HB to El... HB2U! I hope you have a wonderful day! ok, since you didn’t post today (07/02/09) I’ll have to do this here. Humm along now folks!

HB2U!
HB2U!
HB to El…
HB2U!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by lizzylanefarm http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6246 lizzylanefarm Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:17:20 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6246 Yum, I love frozen berries. I have never tried the honey, but I sure will. Now if the weather would cooperate, the strawberries are molding on the vine and won't ripen....Rain for the past 2 weeks.... It would be nice to have <b> Some</B> to freeze! K Yum, I love frozen berries. I have never tried the honey, but I sure will. Now if the weather would cooperate, the strawberries are molding on the vine and won’t ripen….Rain for the past 2 weeks….

It would be nice to have Some to freeze!

K

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by Sylvie http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6243 Sylvie Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:57:48 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6243 same here... I am finishing the last bag of frozen peaches, just as peach season is about to start. (I just wash, pit & halve). Although it's not going to be a good year like last year - so maybe I won't freeze 1 1/2 bushel like last year. But it's a good year for blueberries. Was not so good for cherries either. We'll see about other berries (black, rasp & wine for me). And those I freeze on cooki sheet before dumping them into a bag. It's wonerful to have all those falvorfl fruit we=hen they are no longer in season. same here… I am finishing the last bag of frozen peaches, just as peach season is about to start. (I just wash, pit & halve). Although it’s not going to be a good year like last year – so maybe I won’t freeze 1 1/2 bushel like last year. But it’s a good year for blueberries. Was not so good for cherries either. We’ll see about other berries (black, rasp & wine for me). And those I freeze on cooki sheet before dumping them into a bag. It’s wonerful to have all those falvorfl fruit we=hen they are no longer in season.

]]> Comment on On reruns by Sylvie http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/06/30/on-reruns/#comment-6242 Sylvie Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:49:06 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3129#comment-6242 26 quarts????!!!???? ayhayahy!!!! No wonder you are "a bit" tired. 26 quarts????!!!????

ayhayahy!!!! No wonder you are “a bit” tired.

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by Karen http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6241 Karen Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:43:58 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6241 Mmmm..peaches and cherries and raspberries, oh my! All we've had so far is strawberries and I didn't get enough to jam them (oh, well I got the sour cherries too, but the tree is too young to make much bounty). My 3-year-old blueberry bushes are looking good but I don't think I'll get enough of those to preserve, either - my son is a worse pest than the bluejays for eating them right off the bush. I've been doing peaches by slicing them and simmering in apple juice before freezing. I guess you lose some of the nutrients that way, but it's a low-sugar method of preserving so that's a tradeoff. I don't usually have help with the peeling and slicing so it helps tp "beat the clock" with browning - I get a pile of 'em in the pot and let them simmer while I peel and slice some more. The texture is like canned peaches, but it seems like less effort than canning, to me. I put them in my son's yogurt for breakfast, or just eat them up as is :-) Mmmm..peaches and cherries and raspberries, oh my! All we’ve had so far is strawberries and I didn’t get enough to jam them (oh, well I got the sour cherries too, but the tree is too young to make much bounty). My 3-year-old blueberry bushes are looking good but I don’t think I’ll get enough of those to preserve, either – my son is a worse pest than the bluejays for eating them right off the bush.

I’ve been doing peaches by slicing them and simmering in apple juice before freezing. I guess you lose some of the nutrients that way, but it’s a low-sugar method of preserving so that’s a tradeoff. I don’t usually have help with the peeling and slicing so it helps tp “beat the clock” with browning – I get a pile of ‘em in the pot and let them simmer while I peel and slice some more. The texture is like canned peaches, but it seems like less effort than canning, to me. I put them in my son’s yogurt for breakfast, or just eat them up as is :-)

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by El http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6239 El Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:16:39 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6239 I laughed, WS, at your post today because MY stupid last batch of strawberry jam barely set too. Sigh. The process to reset it is rather onerous, requiring a test batch etc. and I am inclined to say "chuck it" but then again I am outnumbered in my love of this jam so I might just have to. But really: are you making jams that kooky, ingredients-wise? As weird as I got last year was roasted garlic jelly. But do try Pomona pectin, it sets fairly well except that it's really freaking hard to find. I laughed, WS, at your post today because MY stupid last batch of strawberry jam barely set too. Sigh. The process to reset it is rather onerous, requiring a test batch etc. and I am inclined to say “chuck it” but then again I am outnumbered in my love of this jam so I might just have to. But really: are you making jams that kooky, ingredients-wise? As weird as I got last year was roasted garlic jelly. But do try Pomona pectin, it sets fairly well except that it’s really freaking hard to find.

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by Weeping Sore http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6238 Weeping Sore Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:42:10 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6238 Your idea of freezing is much better than trying to make jam. I hate to see the fresh berries go, but making jam requires so much sugar that I lose heart. I've got too many cherries just now, so I'll take your advice about pitting THEN freezing. I couldn't live without my cherry pitter. Your idea of freezing is much better than trying to make jam. I hate to see the fresh berries go, but making jam requires so much sugar that I lose heart. I’ve got too many cherries just now, so I’ll take your advice about pitting THEN freezing. I couldn’t live without my cherry pitter.

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by Petunia http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6237 Petunia Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:41:36 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6237 Gee, I need a freezer! Really, I do! That being said, I processed 9 pints of strawberry jam this morning...I am so proud of myself! It looks great and I sure hope it sets up. I agree the fresh fruit season is crazy-short. Canning and freezing are the only way to go. I guess drying fruit is OK, too. I'll have to try that next. Gee, I need a freezer! Really, I do!

That being said, I processed 9 pints of strawberry jam this morning…I am so proud of myself! It looks great and I sure hope it sets up.

I agree the fresh fruit season is crazy-short. Canning and freezing are the only way to go. I guess drying fruit is OK, too. I’ll have to try that next.

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by Jeri http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6236 Jeri Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:01:46 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6236 Wow! Thirty pounds of cherries! That's wonderful! I froze 10 quarts of nectarines last month and am gearing up for peaches soon. Do you have a basic recipe for smoothies, El? I'm no good at throwing together a few things. I need sort of exact measurements or ingredients. Thanks. Wow! Thirty pounds of cherries! That’s wonderful! I froze 10 quarts of nectarines last month and am gearing up for peaches soon. Do you have a basic recipe for smoothies, El? I’m no good at throwing together a few things. I need sort of exact measurements or ingredients. Thanks.

]]> Comment on On freezing fruits by stefaneener http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/2009/07/01/on-freezing-fruits/#comment-6235 stefaneener Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:26:23 +0000 http://fastgrowtheweeds.com/?p=3134#comment-6235 As we leave the house to get berries today, I'm already thinking about storing them in the freezer. We put every flat storing device to work to freeze them like you're showing, then bag them up. I just used the last of last year's ollalieberries in a galette -- but it's not as good as fresh, of course! As we leave the house to get berries today, I’m already thinking about storing them in the freezer. We put every flat storing device to work to freeze them like you’re showing, then bag them up. I just used the last of last year’s ollalieberries in a galette — but it’s not as good as fresh, of course!

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